A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine questions the need for
angioplasty after heart attacks. Angioplasty involves snaking a tube through a
clogged heart artery and widening it to insure adequate blood flow and prevent
future heart attacks. The study showed patients whose treatments did not
include the procedure faired equally as well as those who received it.

FIBER OPTICS USED IN MEDICINE:

Fiber optic technology is helping doctors view internal anatomy in
virtually every organ of the body, Scientific American reports in its current
issue. The technique, first used in 1957, has been refined to include two
"bundles" threaded through arteries to the target area. The first carries
light to the tissues, while the second transmits an image to observers.

DENTAL VARNISH MIGHT HELP KIDS:

A new dental varnish might help eliminate a cavity-causing bacteria that is
normally trapped in children's braces. The varnish, call Chlorzoin and
developed at the University of Toronto, was tested on children with braces.
Results released this week indicate an expected bacteria was not found in over
half the subjects.

ADVANCES CHANGE VIEWS ON AGING:

Advances in science have dramatically changed the way doctors view the
aging process, Scientific American reports in its current issue. Advances in
neurobiology and molecular biology have altered theories of how and why cells
- and ultimately humans - age. Researchers have also isolated a mutant human
cell that multiplies indefinately without showing normal changes across
generations.

Now that spring is here, we baseball enthusiasts will come out of hibernation,
dust off our gloves and head for the baseball fields. With this sudden,
increased activity come many sore muscles, especially in the shoulder of the
pitching arm. Although most of these sore shoulders are not serious, they are
still aggravating enough to inhibit performance. The good news is, they can
be prevented altogether.

ANATOMY:

The shoulder is a very complex and mobile joint comprised of a group of bones
held together by ligaments and muscle-tendons. To understand shoulder
injuries clearly, you should understand how a healthy shoulder works. The
muscles (rotator cuff and deltoid) work together "in concert" to provide
movement and function. When an injury occurs, this rhythm is altered and
shoulder function is compromised.

INJURIES:

Macro-trauma injuries usually occur as a result of a sharp or sudden
impact. These injuries include dislocations, muscle separations and fractures,
and are common in fast-paced or contact sports like skiing and football.

Micro-trauma injuries, on the other hand, develop gradually, often cropping up
during activities which call for repetitive motion like swimming and pitching.
Although micro-trauma injuries are nagging, they are sometimes wrongly
perceived as insignificant. If ignored, a nagging pain can lead to more
serious problems.

Over-use injuries are often the result of an over-ambitious "first day out."
Insufficient pre-season conditioning, inadequate warm-up, incorrect exercise
techniques, improper throwing form, or simply a sudden increase in exercise
activities can all wreak havoc on your body in the early weeks of practice.
Just as a runner may suffer leg injuries from increasing his mileage too
quickly, an outfielder may injure his shoulder by doing too much too soon.

No matter what the cause, the result is excessive wear on the muscle tendons
causing inflammation and possibly leading to muscle or tendon tears. The
rotator cuff muscles are the ones which suffer the brunt of this "over-use
abuse."

TREATMENT

With any shoulder injury, basic first aid is key. Use ice to decrease
swelling and pain, rest to prevent further injury, and see your physician for
an evaluation.